Viewpoints

In 1969, Dr. Thomas Harris published a book titled, “I’m OK — You’re OK.” Quite simply in 2023, not everyone is OK. Many of our students, staff and other adults are not OK. Last week Dr. Nicholas Covino, president of William James College, presented on the mental health challenges that have resulted from or been exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. And the message resonated. We had 40 participants — parents, teachers, leaders and counselors — who joined and shared stories of their learners who continue to struggle. Dr. Covino shared a statistic from the CDC that over 25% of adults report most days they feel so stressed they cannot function. That percentage skyrockets to 46% of adults under the age of 35. These are our parents and teachers. In April of 2022, the CDC reported 44% ...

I had a number of imaginary worlds in my friendless grammar school years, but the Big Three were football, knighthood and Indians.  In all my worlds, I'm the hero, of course. I mean, what's the sense of creating a world-class world in the first place, if you're just going to be a waterboy or armor polisher once the cameras start rolling? Might's well lay on your back and count the cracks in the ceiling instead. In football, I'm Johnny Lujack, ace quarterback for Notre Dame back then. On the receiving end, Bill Swiacki, the slippery Columbia end who single handedly beat that legendary Army team with his outasight catches. I grab my football, stand at the foot of the back porch steps, throw a spiral straight up in the air, catch it. Next pass, couple yards farther from steps. ...